


Broken

by BBWoulfC (Raydara12), Maerynn



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Cop AU, Cop!Adrien, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, cop!Adrien AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-02 21:11:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13326444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raydara12/pseuds/BBWoulfC, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maerynn/pseuds/Maerynn
Summary: With the tragic loss of two family members, Adrien Agreste falls hard. But with the help from Nino, he finds a way to change it all.He becomes a policeman, to have the power to make a difference.A chance encounter with a blue-eyed girl and his new life as a guardian of the law might be what he needs to begin healing.





	1. Cover Picture




	2. Broken

Noise.

That’s the only thing Adrien was conscious of when he finally got to the hospital.

Everything was going fast around him.

Too fast.

A blur of colours and movements was going around him, sirens and various other calls going around him.

But his mind was painfully blank.

This couldn’t be happening.

It just _couldn’t._

When Nathalie had interrupted his photoshoot about an hour earlier, he had known instantly that something was _very_ wrong.

He had stepped aside from the annoyed photographer to take the phone an intern was handing him, an odd expression on their face. “Hello?”

“ _Adrien,_ ” Nathalie’s digital voice coming out of his phone, “ _I need you leave the photoshoot immediately. Gontrand is waiting for you with the car outside._ ”

Something was off in her tone, something that had gotten his stomach to knot. “What’s wrong, Nathalie?”

“ _Just get to Gontrand, Adrien. I’ll explain everything once you get here.”_

That evasive answer had done nothing to soothe his nerves. Nathalie was usually a very straightforward woman, and she never danced around what she had to say like that. “Nathalie,” he stressed, “what’s wrong?”

There was a few seconds of silence, after which she bluntly said, “ _There was an accident, Adrien. You need to get to the_ Hotel Dieu _hospital as soon as possible._ ”

“Nathalie,” he tried again, bile pooling in his gut. “Please. What happened?”

 _“I-I can’t do this over the phone_ . _Adrien, you need to be at the_ Hotel Dieu _hospital as soon as possible. Your father is still overseas. He can’t make it. I’ll explain as soon as you get here.”_

Dread weighing heavily on his shoulders, Adrien had tried to convey what was happening to his team as he yanked on his coat and dashed out to the car waiting for him, his nerves getting the best of him.

Nathalie’s grim face when he saw her waiting for him on the hospital steps did nothing to reassure him.

Adrien tried.

He really did.

But no matter how he desperately tried to remain optimistic, his mind couldn’t ignore the words of the hospital staff rushing past him.

“ _Drunk driver._ ”

“ _Massive lacerations. Critical condition._ ”

“ _Where is the father?_ ”

“ _His entire family in the hospital and he’s unreachable? What kind of man is that?”_

No matter how much Adrien tried to brace himself for the worst nothing could prepare him to witness his brother being wheeled away on a stretcher, pronounced dead on arrival.

Suddenly, words were unable to reach him.

Nathalie was talking to him, he could hear her words in the back of his mind, but his attention was fully focused on the gurney that had just been rolled into the emergency room.

Celine Agreste was being wheeled away from him on a stretcher, and he desperately chased after his mother, his heart caught somewhere in his throat.

“Adrien,” she said weakly when he caught up with her, “ Adrien, I love you. A… above anything else, I... want you to be happy. I want... you to love, and... be loved. Nothing else-”

Her eyes rolled up, and Adrien panicked. There was so much blood, and it was everywhere. “Mom!” he cried, “Mom! Don’t go! Mom, I need you! You can’t go!”

But it was useless.

His mother was already gone.

His brother too.

And his father was nowhere in sight. He faintly recalled Nathalie saying something about being overseas and unable to come back in time, but at the moment being he couldn’t care less.

He was _alone._

No more brother to fight with and tease about his cute classmate with the hopeless crush on him.

No more mother to humiliate him by hugging him in front of his friends, make tea for him whenever he was upset, and cuddle with after dinner.

And no father to comfort him through these desperate, horrible times.

The pain soon became too much to bear, and Adrien just _broke._

Hot tears spilled on his cheeks, and he began to sob almost pitifully, alone in the hospital waiting room, his sorrows crushing him mercilessly.

Through his violent sobs, he faintly registered a light hand on his shoulder and a vibrant green macaron appearing in front of his face.

“You look like you could use something sweet,” a soft, caring voice told him.

Adrien looked up to his unexpected saviour, messily wiping the tears from his cheek with his sleeve. She was about the same age as he was, with hair so black it almost looked blue, and bright, shining blue eyes. He could see genuine worry and care in those eyes clear as day.

She seemed genuinely worried about him despite him being a complete stranger, and her authenticity was Adrien’s undoing.

He told her _everything._

Words spilled from his lips, unbidden, words he had barely admitted to himself by then.

About how his older brother, his best friend, was gone now.

About how his mother, his anchor, his safety blanket, was gone too.

She listened to it all. Without her expression shifting, without her seemingly being uncomfortable with his pain.

Once he was done ranting, she patted his hand, hugged him, and he even thought she had kissed his forehead at some point. But he poured all of his pain in his words. Hoping she’d understand.

And somehow, at the end of it all, through her listening and her caring fingers grazing his scalp, he felt slightly better.

Slightly.

* * *

Adrien took another swig of wine, ignoring how it burned as it went down his throat.

Anything to wash away the loss.

Over a week since the accident, and still no sign from his father.

A week since the funeral and no one had talked to him since.

After the private funeral he hadn’t gone back to the mansion. He couldn’t deal with the cold, empty rooms.

Not without Felix filling them with light. Not without his mom filling the house with warmth.

Another swig of wine went down his throat as his apartment door swung open, confusing him for a second in his drunken state.

Who had the key to his apartment?

Who even cared about him by then?

Nino entered the room, taking in the sorry state his friend was in all at once.

Adrien was sprawled on the couch, holding a half empty bottle of wine between his legs, countless bottles laying on the floor around him. He was very obviously drunk and desperate. His hair was a messy mop on his head, and his eyes were blurry.

“Look, dude,” Nino said softly, “I know this is hard and everything, but you have to shake yourself out of it.”

Adrien lifted bleary eyes towards his friend. “Is that so? Will it bring them back?”

“Nothing will, Adrien,” Nino replied softly. It was obvious how much Adrien was hurting, how much he was grasping at straws by then.

“I…” Adrien muttered. “I… I don’t know what to do. They’re gone, they’re gone for good, and there is nothing I can do to fix it.”

Nino’s expression softened. “Do you remember your mother’s last words, Adrien?”

“ _I want you to be happy. I want you to love, and be loved._ How could I ever forget? Those words are engraved in my mind forever,” Adrien replied dryly.

“Well then,” Nino answered, “you can’t spend the rest of your life drinking yourself to death in your apartment. Make your mother proud. Find someone to love and to be loved by. Find a reason to get up in the morning, make the world a better place.”

Adrien shook his head, smiling sadly. “But I’m only a man, Nino. I’m on my own, and the only thing I know is how to model. What can I even _do?_ I’m nobody.”

“Become a police officer,” Nino smiled. “If I could do it, you can do it too. It won’t be easy, but you’re determined.”

Adrien snorted, gesturing to his dirty undershirt, boxers, and stubble. “Really? You think I’m police material? If you were looking for a partner, there are better people to ask.”

“No, dude,” Nino said. “The maniac that killed your mom and Felix is still out there. And I know you want that drunk driver off the streets as much as I do, even more. Being a policeman would grant you that power.”

Adrien’s eyes lit up upon hearing those words.

“I’m in.”

* * *

Police training was way harder than he had imagined, Adrien soon came to realize.

Sure, being a former model meant that he was fit. His calorie intake had been monitored for years, and there wasn’t an ounce of fat on his bones, but it wasn’t the kind of fit that was needed for a policeman. He wasn’t strong enough, he wasn’t agile enough.

Training was tough.

It was exhausting.

Every night, he stumbled back into his room, every muscle in his body burning and hurting.

But he couldn’t —wouldn’t— dare abandon it.

A family picture on his bedside gave him the fuel he needed to go on.

A picture of his mother, her beautiful green eyes shining with glee as she embraced her two sons. Felix was laughing, standing almost a full head over Adrien, who was grinning like mad in the image. Beside them stood Gabriel, looking at his family with something akin to fondness in the cold blue eyes.

It was the last picture of them.

The last time they had been happy.

Adrien couldn’t even remember the last time he had talked to his father. He had never forgave him for his blatant absence at the hospital, as his wife and eldest son were dying. He hadn’t even made it back for the funeral. Every single encounter between them ever since had ended into a screaming match, so Adrien eventually gave up.

It didn’t help that Gabriel was less than pleased with his only living son’s career change. He kept reminding Adrien that he was only going to get himself killed, to which Adrien always replied that _he,_ at least, was trying to change things instead of wallowing in his misery.

In short, a perfect father-son relationship.

“Hurry it up, recruits! Move, move, move!”  The major shouted as she watched Adrien and the other recruits running on a large circular track around her.

The exhaustion was evident on everyone’s faces.  

Adrien’s breath was shortening and becoming heavy. He captured the eye of the major as she ran towards him, coming to a light jog as she matched the pace alongside him.

“Recruit! Why are you slowing down? Are you tired already?!” she demanded.

“No, ma’am!”  Adrien shouted back, trying to pick up his pace a little. He would not seem weak in front of everyone, especially the major, when he had worked so hard. He hadn't made it halfway through training for nothing.

“I don’t think you have it in you, Agreste! Why are you even here? Time to pack it up and go back home to mommy!”

Adrien’s heart pounded in his ears. He could never go back to the way things were before. He was here to avenge his brother, who helped him through exhaustion from his model life growing up. His best friend when he had none. His partner in crime when it came to steal cookies or prank their parents.

He was here to avenge his mother.

The woman who had made his family a happy one.

The one who supported him through all his ups and downs.  

The rock for the entire Agreste family.

Now gone.

Yet, there was a small speck of light in his long dark tunnel.

Pushing himself further, the thought of his mother and brother bringing newfound strength into his already aching body.

Sprinting, passing his fellow recruits, the major remained by his side.

“Why are you here, Agreste?”

“To avenge the loss of my mother and brother! To fight for those who have lost! And to strive to keep anyone from ever having the same loss, Ma’am!” came Adrien’s reply at last.

He wasn’t sure if it was due to his exhaustion, but he could have sworn that he saw a glimpse of a smile on his major’s lips. Nevertheless, Adrien felt proud in himself. He’d make his mother and brother proud.

So, with purpose in heart, Adrien relentlessly jogged and jumped. He walked on beams like his life depended on it, climbed on ladders, slalomed through obstacles, saved mannequins from cardboard bandits. He ran up countless stairs and crawled into spaces barely wide enough to fit him. How many push-ups, sprints or jumping jacks he did, he had no clue. He went through it all with clenched teeth, ignoring the pain and the exhaustion.

It wasn’t only until a badge was presented to him that he finally allowed himself to breathe.

“Congratulations, Officer Agreste.”

He had made it.

From now on, he had the power to avenge his family.


	3. The Call

**2 YEARS LATER**

Stressfulness.

Stressful and annoyance.

Of all days to be overcome with these feelings, it had to be today. The day a rare chance to sleep in a little had been completely thrown out the window.  

Leave it to Alya to be the stubborn woman that she was and ruin the importance of her sleep. If it weren’t for Alya being her best friend, she’d be pissed at having been woken up two hours before their store was due to open up. As the owners of their store, they should be allowed to have the pleasure every now and then to sleep in and rest, not being awake when the sun wasn’t even above the Parisian buildings.

Dressed in a red button long-sleeved dress shirt and black knee length shorts, Marinette slipped into her red converse shoes, retrieved her apartment keys and purse and rushed out the door.  She locked it behind her before rushing down the stairs into the streets of Paris.

By the luck of the stars, Marinette was glad to only be a twenty-minute walk away from their store.

For what her best friend didn’t know, she was going to give her a good talking to.  

Marinette couldn’t believe that her friend had snuck out behind her husband’s back just so she could escape and head to work against any common sense. She felt sorry for Nino, not in a bad way of course. Marinette honestly believed that Nino was a nothing short of a saint for dealing with Alya’s shenanigans and temper.

Rounding a corner, Marinette arrived on Avenue des Champs-Elysees and headed west towards her and Alya’s store. Only a few minutes away.

For all that was worth and the hard work that she had put forth during university at ESMOD, Marinette was plenty satisfied with where she had gotten. With the money they had both saved through university during their paid internships and commissions, they had managed to save enough money to open up a self-business together.

Though, even she was still surprised that she had become popular with a particular line of clothing. One that she never even given much thought in her early years as a teen.

What was this particular line?

The wonders of special and custom-made lingerie lines.

She reached a line of shops, and Marinette spotted the large cursive font of the store sign.

 _Lady Luck’s Trixx and Trades_.

For the past two years, she and Alya had started from ground up and their business had flourished into a popular clothing label and store for all lingerie needs, no matter the shape or size of the person. Custom tailoring and original designs were organized by Marinette herself while Alya handled the business side of things and ran the front of the shop.

Looking at the hour on her phone, she saw the time at 7:38 am. Still way too early to be up and functional for her taste. Reaching the front door of the store, Marinette saw the store the “We’re open!” sign still set to “Sorry, we’re closed!”.

Good. That left her enough time and privacy to talk to Alya and blame her for waking her up and sneaking past Nino.

Grabbing the handle of the front door, Marinette found it unlocked and walked through the door, locking it behind her. Seriously, why did Alya leave the front door unlocked?! Anyone could have entered the store while she was in the back!

As if she were gliding along the polished wood floor, Marinette made her way towards the back of the store where all inventory of their supplies and fabrics were stored and found Alya sitting at a desk going through some paperwork.

“I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU?!”

Alya lowly jumped in her seat, dropping the papers in her hand, startled as she looked up to see her best friend staring at her in frustration.

Marinette glared at her best friend from the front of the desk. Taking note in passing of Alya being dressed in a simple dress and sandals, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. As well as the large bulge over her stomach.

“I can’t believe you snuck out behind Nino’s back, Alya!  You shouldn’t have left and arrived here all by yourself of all things. Do you have any idea how dangerous that could have been?!” Marinette shouted as she continued to stare at Alya.

Alya dared to scoff as she arranged the papers back in order before looking back at Marinette.

“Relax, Mari. There’s no need to exaggerate over something ridiculous.” Alya replied, looking amused.

“Ridiculous?! Alya!” Marinette could not believe her best friend. “YOU ARE PREGNANT!” she shouted. “You are at _full_ term, Alya. You are literally ready to pop! Seriously, you shouldn’t even be here in the first place. You are due at any minute now.”

“We’ve all been saying that for the past week, Mari. This kid apparently isn’t ready to come out.  Plus, I know for a fact that Nino would have made me stay home. And you know I get antsy being cooped up for long amounts of time.”

“I get it, Alya, but that’s not why Nino and I are _both_ upset. You left without informing one of us. I know you can handle yourself, but you have to see it through mine and Nino’s perspective.  You’re heavily pregnant with your daughter and you’re due at any given time. We were worried. What would have happened if you went into labor all on your own?” Marinette gave Alya stern look, “Nino and I would have never known because you didn’t bother to tell me and you snuck away from Nino.”

Marinette relaxed, closing her eyes and taking a breather. “Alya-”

“I’m sorry.”

Marinette opens her eyes to see Alya standing up, one hand on her round belly as she looked at her, olive eyes glistening with tears at the brim of her lashes.

Seeing her best friend so close to crying made Marinette feel awful. Sure she was upset that Alya came without informing anyone, but that the last thing she wanted was to bring Alya to tears. “Oh, god. I’m sorry Alya, I didn’t-”

Before Marinette could finish her apology, Alya took the few steps between them and wrapped her in a hug, burying her head into her friend's neck. “I’m sorry. You’re right, I should have at least informed you since I snuck around Nino.”

“Please, don’t cry, Alya.” Marinette pleaded. She felt awful making her pregnant friend cry when she was close to being due.

“I’m not, it’s just pregnancy hormones. I’m easily emotional and for no reason.” Alya sniffled as she pulled her head from Marinette’s neck. Taking a hand to wipe her tears, Alya chuckled, “We good?”

Marinette couldn’t hold the giggle back as she gave Alya another quick hug. “Yes, we’re good.  Though you owe me a coffee since you were the reason why I wasn’t allowed to sleep in.”

“Alright, alright.” Alya giggled.

“Also, I suggest you call Nino. He’s worried and I’m sure he’d like to know his wife is alright.”

Alya gave her a nod in agreement.

“Good.” Marinette said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head over to the couch we have in the break room and pass out for another hour.”

As she walks away, she could hear her friend laugh as she dials to call her husband.

* * *

By early afternoon, Alya and Marinette sat in their designated areas.  

The morning customers had been arriving and leaving ever since opening. Alya was taking on her manager duties around the front of the store, spending the morning helping their newly hired assistant learn the ropes of the front store with all their clothing and lingerie on the shelves and racks, along with walking her through Marinette’s department that housed glass displays of custom clothing and lingerie sets with all prices and services provided.

Melody was a wonderful, young woman. She was a university student who was looking for a part-time job along the side of fashion, following the same line of industry like Marinette into fashion.

Marinette was happy to see Melody join the Lady Luck’s team. She was excited to have a fellow fashion designer on the team and talk and critique designs. And after interviewing her, Marinette was willing to assist Melody by offering her position as an internship for credit for university, allowing her to be here more than part-time hours to help manage the store.

With Alya heading on maternity leave any day now with her baby, Marinette was also going to need all the help around the store that she could get.  With Melody on the team, she could have her intern assist her with custom designs for customers, offer tips and techniques that she learned on her own that helped her through university that she felt could benefit the upcoming fashion designer.

Once early afternoon arrived, Alya released Melody early for lunch so she could have enough time to eat before heading to her one afternoon class for the day.

Sitting at her counter near the side of the store where her department for customs and sewing resided, Marinette was busy, hunched over the counter drawing, sketching out ideas for a custom design a customer that came by earlier this morning wanted.

A lingerie set in shades of purples and blues, along with a nightgown to go along with the custom lingerie piece.

It was relaxing for Marinette after the small morning rush. Inspiration for the custom piece was coming forth and made her eager to sketch and work out different possible ideas to present to the customer.

Across from her, Alya sat in a chair by the register looking through some magazines, taking notes on a piece of paper beside her. She was writing points for ideas for future marketing purposes along with specials that they could try for the shop for certain special occasions such as Valentine’s day.

Both women were concentrating on their own work when Alya finally paused from her magazine gazing and set her pen aside.

“Hey, girl. Got a question for you,” Alya called a few feet away from her to Marinette.

Looking up from her sketchbook, Mari could see Alya with a smile as she stared at her, “Yes?”

“I’ve been wanting to ask you this for a while and before you say anything, Nino agrees with me and thinks it would be a good idea.”

Marinette raises a brow as she continues to stare and listen to Alya.

“How would you feel about going on a planned date? Accompanied by Nino and myself of course.”

The last thing Marinette expected was Alya to bring up a conversation about dating. Sure, she hadn’t really gone on many dates, but that was something she had expected when she had tackled the career field she dreamed of doing since she was little. If anything, dating hadn’t really been on her radar for the longest time, even after graduating university.  With the start of their business and the success taking off, Marinette had completely pushed dating to the back burner from everything else.

“I don’t know, Alya,” Marinette rubbed her neck in slight nervousness, moving her fingers towards her raven strands of hair as she slowly plays with them. “Not that I’m not grateful or anything, but I haven’t actually really dated. What if it doesn’t work out?”

The uncertainty and nervousness was clear on her face as Alya continued to listen and watch.  Her smile softened as she took in Marinette’s concern.

“Oh, sweetie. It’s okay to be nervous. I promise that nothing bad will happen. You’re twenty-one and I thought it would be good to get so to start mingling and find a certain someone to hopefully get to know.  Our friend that I met through Nino, he’s such a sweet gentleman, Mari.  He’s gone through a lot the past couple of years. He lost family and is slowly coming around, mostly due to Nino.”

Alya softly chuckled as a memory when she first met him. He was such a dork. “He could really use more friends though, even if it doesn’t click romantically between you two. All he has is really Nino and I and it would be great if you met him too. But with how sweet and gentle he is, we both thought that maybe you could help him grow as well, maybe you two growing into something more.”

“Oh?”

“I promise he’s not dumping a bunch of emotional baggage on you or anything. He’s just a little bit shy, sometimes quiet, outgoing, but you can tell there’s something holding him back from being...him. Even though I think you guys would make an adorable couple, and that’s the god honest truth, but I also thought that maybe you could use that Marinette charm of yours to bring some of that sunshine spirit out of him.”

Marinette bites her lip in thought. She didn’t even know this friend of theirs, though it couldn’t hurt at least try and meet.  Besides, she trusted Alya.  She knew her friend wouldn’t wrongly set her up with someone she felt would harm her. And judging by some of the things Alya said, it sounded like this friend could use some good people in his life.

“I guess it couldn’t hurt to meet him,” she gave Alya a true smile. “From what you told me, he could at least use another good friend.”

Alya pumped a fist in the air. “You are amazing, Mari. You won’t regret this. You’ll love him.  I promise, Ad-Ah!”

Alya cringed as she bent slightly over, her hands gripping her stomach.  

From across the floor, at her desk, Marinette watched helplessly as Alya clutched her stomach, her features altering in pain as her teeth clench.  “Alya?”

She stood up as Alya released another grunt in pain. Marinette called her name a second time, trying to get her friend to respond, “Alya?”

It had happened so fast. One moment they were chatting like every single day and the next second, all hell broke loose.

In the quietness of the empty store, Alya’s heavy panting echoed through the building, the sound of liquid dripping to the floor took place.  Marinette’s eyes widened at the confirmation of what she was dreading.

“Oh shit! Alya!”

Marinette hopped over her desk and ran towards her friend as Alya’s breathing started up again, the heaviness there, her panting picking up.  She hurried and told Alya to sit and breath while she reached for her phone. Thanking the almighty stars that she placed Alya and Nino’s number on her emergency contact list.

Pressing Nino’s number, the dial tone rang twice when she heard the person on the other line pick up.

“ _Hello? Mari? Wha-_ ”

“Nino! Nino!  Oh, thank god.”

“ _Marinette! What’s wrong?!  Are you okay?!_ ” She could hear the panic in Nino’s voice on the other side of the line.

“Nino, I need you quickly.  Alya’s waters just broke. We’re at Lady Luck.”

 _“Oh shit. Oh shit! Oh, fuck!”_  Marinette could hear frantic noise on the other side. “ _Dude, I have to go. You’ll have to finish the shift on your own.  Is that okay?_ ” She heard Nino shout out to someone who must have been with him.

“ _It’s okay, go. Take care of Alya. I’ve got it covered. I’ll meet you later._ ”  Marinette heard another person in the distance calling back to Nino.

“ _Thank you, thank you. I’m on my way, Mari! I’ll be there in a few minutes._ ”

“Perfect. See you soon, please hurry.”

Marinette hung up the phone and took care of Alya until Nino arrived.  

And quick Nino was. Within seven minutes, the front doors of Lady Luck were slammed open.  Marinette turned her head to look behind her shoulder to see him spotting them and rushing over towards her and his wife.

“Alya!” Nino slid to a stop, placing his hands on her cheek. Pushing stray strands of her hair away from her face. “Oh thank god.  It’s going to be okay.  I’m going to get you to the hospital.”

He placed a kiss on her forehead and lifted Alya off the chair, Marinette coming to the other side aiding Nino to walk Alya to the car.

It took a few seconds to get Alya comfortable to walk, but with all three working together, they got Alya in the cop car within a few minutes.

Marinette closed the passenger door and looked at Alya. “I promise I’ll come by as soon as I close shop.”

“I know you will, girl. I’ll be waiting,” Alya offered her best friend a smile, though strained a bit from the labor pains.

Nino opened the driver side door and hopped in. “Alright, you good, babe?  Need any-”

“Drive Lahiffe!!!” Alya shouted at her husband as another contraction coursed through her body.

“Yes! Right! On it!  Bye Mari!” Nino shouted in a frantic as the cop car took off with her two best friends.

Marin chuckled to herself as she returned to the store. The small crowd that hovered in the streets finally dispersed from the scene.

Only a couple more hours and she’ll be able to head to the hospital.

* * *

Sitting in her chair hunched over the counter, Marinette continued working on her customer’s custom order after helped with some customers that had stopped by throughout the afternoon.

In the empty store, Marinette sewed for a bit and returned to her sketching, taking a look at her phone, making a note to close shop as early as she could so she could head to the hospital.

In deep concentration and thoughts spiraling about Alya and her well-being in labor, Marinette didn’t heard the front door to the shop open or the footsteps walking their way to her station.

What Marinette did hear, though, was the sound of a click in front of her.

Her hand going still, sketch unfinished, Marinette lifted her eyes as they widened seeing the barrel of a pistol mere inches from her face.

“Evening, gorgeous.”


	4. Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: a holdup takes place in this chapter

 

Two years.

Two years ever since graduating from police academy.

Two years ever since he had given his life a new meaning.

It had been two years, and Adrien had one single regret.

That he had yet to find the drunk driver who had decimated his family.

Aside from that, he loved his job dearly. Being useful, being able to help the civilians had given his life a purpose and had pulled him through his depression following his mother and brother’s deaths. Even if his father wasn’t fond of his career choice, arguing that it was reckless and dangerous, Adrien knew that he had found his true calling.

Upon graduating from the police academy, he had been lucky enough to be partnered up with Nino, his best friend. They were one of the best teams in the precinct, their teamwork was flawless and their reports always on point. Nino and he always worked in perfect sync, and they were on the same page about what their mission ultimately was, and how they had to do it.

That day, Adrien and Nino were playfully bantering in the precinct break room, waiting for their turn to leave on patrol. They were the last pair to leave that day, which lent them plenty of time to chat.

And chatty Nino was that morning.

“I don’t know man, I mean, Alya’s ready to pop any given hour now, and I still don’t feel ready to be a father. I’ll probably do something really stupid like dropping her on the floor and Alya will file for divorce invoking my lethal incompetence at taking care of our daughter.”

Now he was just being ridiculous. Nino was one of the most caring persons Adrien knew, one of the most loving. He and Alya were a great team, and they could tackle anything together. A newborn, as scary as it may seem, was only a step in their ten-year-long relationship, a magnificent step that they would flawlessly overcome together, just like they did every challenge they ever encountered. 

“You’re getting dramatic, now,” Adrien tried to soothe his friend, but Nino wasn’t quite done with his rant just yet.

“How do you even learn to be a father anyway?” he asked, shrugging in defeat. “There’s only so much books can teach you. Think it’ll happen on the spot? They hand you your baby and voila! your brain magically downloads the Baby 101 update?”

Adrien chuckled at the silly thought, picturing a ‘loading’ bar on his friend’s forehead. “You’ll be a great daddy, Nino, have a little faith in yourself. Alya and you are amazing together, that little girl is beyond lucky to be born to parents as loving and caring as you. Have you guys finally settled on any names?”

“Hardly,” Nino said, his shoulders slumping. “Alya is still dead set on Lily, which I personally despise. I would prefer something less… floral? But Al stubbornly refused Sofie, Amelie, Chloe for obvious reasons, I don’t know why I even tried that one. She literally laughed at me when I suggested Juliette, asking where was her Roméo. Camille, Jeanne and Florence also went down the drain.”

“What about Zoey? It’s cute,” Adrien said as he reached forward to fix himself a cup of coffee. The precinct coffeemaker wasn’t particularly great, but it provided much-needed caffeine through their painstakingly long shifts. Hence why all the officers took jealous care of it, having deemed the poor appliance being a full part of the team.

“Zoey?” Nino repeated, thoughtful. “Zoey Lahiffe. I think I like it. It’s not a mouthful and it won’t fall out of fashion. Let’s hope Alya likes it too.”

Adrien began to reply, but Nino’s phone went off wildly in his pocket, interrupting him. Nino frantically pulled out the little device and frowned upon seeing the caller ID. “Hello? Mari? Wha-”

_ “Nino! Nino! Oh, thank god _ ,” Adrien could hear an obviously panicked voice shouting into the device.

Nino paled, looking at Adrien worriedly. “Marinette! What’s wrong?! Are you okay?!” 

“ _ Nino, I need you quickly _ ,” the voice shouted again, and Adrien could almost feel how stressed out the faceless young woman was. “ _ Alya’s waters just broke. We’re at Lady Luck. _ ”

“Oh shit. Oh shit!” Nino looked at him, eyes wide with shock and panic. “Oh, fuck! Dude, I have to go. You’ll have to finish the shift on your own. Is that okay?” he asked him, and if the situation hadn’t been so urgent and stressful, Adrien would’ve laughed at him.

“ _ Nope, dude, let your wife deliver your daughter on her own, I’m nothing but a selfish brat who demands a partner for a routine day, _ ” didn’t sound too good if you asked him. But Nino obviously wasn’t in a state of mind allowing him to understand, let alone appreciate sarcastic humour, so Adrien instead went for the obvious answer. “It’s okay, go. Take care of Alya. I’ve got it covered. I’ll meet you guys later at the hospital.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Nino hurriedly said, before speaking into his phone again. “I’m on my way, Mari! I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“ _ Perfect. See you soon, please hurry _ ,” replied the voice, a little bit calmer but still quite high-pitched. The poor girl was very obviously beyond distressed, and if the way Nino all but fled the precinct, he wasn’t faring any better than her.

Adrien finished fixing his coffee in silence and walked toward the hall of the precinct. Chloe, the dispatcher, looked at him with a smirk. “She finally popped, huh? Guess I’ll win that bet after all.”

Adrien laughed, brushing the friendly jab aside. “I already lost anyway, I had bet on last week, what a fool was I! But yeah, seems like she’s in labour. Did Nino take our car to get there?”

Chloe laughed, a wicked smile on her lips. “Yep, he nearly flew into it, so you’re an on-foot patroller today, Agent Agreste. Though maybe I could find you a bicycle if you’re nice enough. Woe is you.”

“Chloeeeeeeeeee,” Adrien drawled out, batting his eyelashes to his friend. “You wouldn’t be that mean to one of your oldest friends, now, would you?”

Chloe.

His childhood friend, who had been in dire need of a job roughly around the same time the old dispatcher had retired. Her father had been thrown in jail because of extortion and frauds, and her name and fortune had been severely wounded.

Chloe. Who had been doing a stellar job at the precinct ever since Adrien had recommended her for the position. She was the first face civilian saw when walking into the building, the voice they talked to when they called the precinct. And somehow, the girl Adrien remembered to be cold and self-centred was warm and comforting to the Parisians seeking the help of the police force.

She was amazing.

And if he was entirely honest with himself, Adrien loved having her close by. With her and Nino both working at the precinct, work felt a little bit like home.

A little bit like he wasn’t alone.

As he had predicted, Chloe laughed again, handing him a set of keys, “Here, take the thirteen. Kim and Alix are off duty today anyway.”

“Thanks, Chlo, you’re the best!”

He quickly found the car he had been assigned for the day, and powered on the computer and GPS inside, inputting his badge number to log in. Once everything was up and running, he set off, driving through Paris’ streets and keeping watch for anything out of the ordinary.

The shift began slowly. A few speeding tickets and scaring away some high-school muggers summed up his day thus far. He hated those shifts, when Nino and his pleasant chatter weren’t there to distract him from the dullness of the quiet day.

Adrien was seconds away from banging his head on the wheel to occupy himself when the radio came to life.

“To all patrols, a panic button has been pressed in one of the Champs-Élysées’ shop.”

Adrien looked up to figure out where his wanderings had led him to, only to see that he was almost there. “Here’s Agent 612, I’m near the scene. I’ll take the call,” he replied into the radio.

“Alright, Agent Agreste,” Chloe replied. “I’m forwarding the exact location to your GPS. Let us know if you need backup.”

“I will,” Adrien said into the walky-talky, powering on his flashing lights.

As expected, he was at the little shop in less than two minutes. Lady Luck’s Trixx and Trade. Why did that sound so familiar?

Chasing those thoughts, he parked the car far enough so that the robber wouldn’t notice the flashy police car and walked cautiously toward the shop, gun ready in hand. From where he was standing, he could see a young woman with dark hair staring down a tall, muscular man holding her at gunpoint.

Did she have a death wish? 

He pressed his back on the door of the shop, pressing his ear on it. He could hear the man talking, asking where the money was, and making lewd comments on the lingerie pieces around them. Adrien clenched his fists beside him. What kind of human garbage had decided to attack a woman in such a disgusting manner?

Coming in from the front door, alone and without backup, wouldn’t possibly end well. That kind of shops usually had a backdoor, now, didn’t they? Reluctantly leaving the poor woman to her fate for a minute, he rounded the building, seeking another entrance to the shop.

Thankfully, he found an unlocked door on the side of the building, and let himself in. As soon as he was into the small boutique’s back, he could hear the woman arguing with the thief that there was no money to be stolen. The burglar was laughing, commenting that with the success of the shop, this was nearly impossible.

Adrien raised his gun, walking slowly toward the threat. He needed to keep the surprise effect if he wanted to protect the young woman.

Unfortunately, as he attempted to get a good vantage point on his opponent, he knocked a sewing form down. He ducked behind some fabric bolts, but the thief had heard the sound and moved fast too. He jumped over the counter, grabbing the young woman by the throat and holding his gun to the side of her head.

“Who’s there?” the thief called into the empty shop. 

Adrien weighed the pros and cons quickly. 

On one hand, he could call for backup and keep watch in the meantime, making sure the terrified employee didn’t get hurt.

On the other hand, every minute that passed was a torture to her, and yet another chance that she did end up hurt despite his efforts.

He made his decision in a split second, jumping out of his hiding place, gun in hand. “Drop your weapon and put your hands on your head,” he commanded, gun pointed toward the thief.

The burglar laughed, shaking his gun against the poor woman’s head. “Or what? Take a single step toward me, and I’ll explode her brain.”

Adrien moved cautiously, trying to get a better vantage point without threatening the burglar. He needed a spot from which he could act fast, and efficiently. There was no more time to wait for backup, he was on his own. 

“Drop your weapon,” he insisted, his own gun not budging.

The thief moved toward the door, still holding the woman by the throat. Adrien instantly picked up on his intentions: if he could come close enough to the door, maybe he could escape without dealing with the police.

And that was the last thing Adrien wanted him to achieve. That man needed and deserved punishment. 

“I said drop your weapon! Now!” he insisted.

He watched, helpless,  as the robber moved the barrel of the pistol to rest against the skin of the woman’s forehead.

The young woman’s eyes widened at the cold contact of the metal pressed against her skin. Her sapphire eyes began to glisten, yet Adrien could tell she was trying to hold back her fear, plastering a look of confidence on her features to hold herself together.

When Adrien’s eyes met the woman’s, he tried to convey comfort to her, to tell her that all would be alright. He wasn’t going to let another life end on his watch.

“Drop your gun and I won’t harm the pretty lady,” the robber said, giving Adrien a smirk, thinking he had the cop in a standstill.

_ “Adrien?” _ He heard Chloe’s voice coming through the walkie clipped to his shoulder,  _ “Adrien, are you there?” _

Responding wasn’t an option, not when the robber was getting antsy.

Running out of viable options, Adrien briefly considered letting the robber escape to protect the hostage. No matter his strong sense of justice, it wasn’t worth this young woman’s life. But just as he was about to lower his gun in surrender, a thought popped up in his mind. 

It was a dangerous attempt, but certain situations call for spontaneous actions, right?

Easing from his stance, Adrien lowered his weapon, secretly clicking the safety on. Flipping his pistol around, he gripped the barrel tightly and held the handle of the pistol out to the robber, “Here. Take the gun. Just release her.”

Looking at the officer intently, the bandit apparently didn’t see any threat in Adrien’s expression. “Alright. Walk slowly. Any funny business and the woman gets a bullet to the head.”

Walking slowly and patiently towards the robber, Adrien glanced at the woman in the man’s grip, her eyes intently on his.

Once Adrien stood close enough to his opponent, the robber released his grip on his hostage’s throat, reaching his hand out for the officer’s pistol. 

The second the man’s hand closed around the weapon’s handle, Adrien acted out his crazed plan.

Releasing his grip on the gun, Adrien launched himself at the robber, tackling him in the chest as all three fell to the ground. A shot rang through the store and the young woman screamed from the dreaded sound.

Adrien struggled with the man, both wrestling back and forth for the robber’s pistol. The young woman slipped from the man’s form and moved a few feet away for safety.

It was tough on his own, Adrien couldn’t deny it. Without Nino, he was on his own and struggling. One hand holding down the aggressive man with equal strength, the other desperately keeping the robber’s from aiming at him or at the hostage, Adrien was going to need a miracle.

Pushing his strength further against the man and onto his knees, the doors to the store slammed opened as fellow officers rushed the store. Seeing their fellow comrade struggling they all ran to help restrain the criminal.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, the robber glanced over towards the ascending officers, his grip softening on his opponent, giving Adrien the opening to knock the gun out of the man’s hand at long last.

It wasn’t until the thief was face down on the ground, handcuffed and disarmed, Adrien was finally able to breathe in relief and seeing that the young woman finally had broken down in tears. 

“Mademoiselle?” She looked over at him and ran into his arms and buried her face into his neck, shaking uncontrollably.

He wrapped his arms around her, a weird emotion seizing his stomach.

Why was his heart suddenly racing like there was no tomorrow?


	5. ANNOUNCEMENT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Important Announcement

Dear Miraculous Readers,

 

It is with heavy hearts that we come to you with some tragic news about one of our own fandom members, the wonderful, kind, talented Maerynn.

Sadly, last week, we received word that Maerynn was involved in a car accident and tragically passed away.

Mae enriched the Miraculous fandom as an amazing writer. Her works included “A Beautiful Mistake”, “Both of You”, “Bring Me Home”, as well as various collabs such as “Under Lock and Key” with Eden Daphne, “The Other You” with Totally Lucky, and “Broken” with BBWoulfC

Our hearts go out to her family during this terrible time. We ask you all to please be respectful. Questions pertaining to her unfinished stories and collaborations will be answered in due course, but now is not the time to be thinking of such things.

Instead, we ask you to remember her, join us in our grief and sorrow, but also celebrate the irreplaceable contributions she made to the fandom, and think fondly of the space she made in our hearts. For many of us, Mae wasn’t just a talented writer, she was also a true friend, someone who cried with us during bad times and laughed with us during good ones. She was always there, and the fandom doesn’t feel the same without her.

Below, feel free to offer your condolences or your favourite memories of Mae, or even quote your favourite part of her stories. We will do our best to pass on well wishes and love to her family.

We know many of you will be confused and devastated by this news, as we are. Out of respect, we will not be giving out any more information on her private life.

She will be forever loved and missed.

 

With love,

 

Eden (EdenDaphne)

Midnight (midnightstarlightwrites)

Lucky (Totally_Lucky on Ao3, @chocoluckchipz at Tumblr)

Ray (BBWoulfC)

Kry (KryallaOrchid)

Liz (Eizabet)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure there are a good many of you that will wonder what will happen with Broken with Maerynn gone. I can assure you I will continue and complete this fic as it's what Mae would want. I can't say for all, but I am planning on continuing some of her other works, Don't Worry, Beer Happy and Bundled Miracle. Since we both worked out the outline for the fic I feel she would also want to see these fics finished as well. And eventually her sequel to Bring Me Home featuring Emma and Carlisle. With the help from some of our close friends I know we can make this happen.
> 
> However, I ask for everyone's patience and time. I ask you to please be conscientious of the grieving we're going through as we have lost a great friend. Having her leave us so suddenly has been very hard for us as we have lost an amazing person. She was very dear to us and an incredible young lady.
> 
> I won't say this is a hiatus, but more of a pause in the works. A moment of silence, truly. I appreciate the understanding and thank you all.


End file.
